Ivory
by CloverCard
Summary: The body is ice cold. A numb sensation takes over him as he sets the wrist down gently. Is this real? Is he truly awake now? Was this nightmare his reality?


So, like I said, here's what the old ending was going to be like. Not exactly, but similar.

It's a rough draft so it's not the best, but I kinda like it...

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Skin as pale as ivory, smooth and soft, so cold and lifeless, the boys hand jerks after a moments touch. Frost glitters on his knuckles, sparkling against the ghostly shine of the pale skin. Brief darkness and the frost is gone. Icicles dangle from his finger tips and a fleeting thought of 'when did it get so cold?' crosses his mind. Another dark curtain and the remains of winter vanish into spring. The boy could have sworn the ground was covered in snow moments before, but the matter at hand is more important and he brushes off the thought.

He brings his warm hand across the ivory skin, fingers leaving behind burning trails as he observes the body before him. 'Check for a pulse,' his doctor would say, so he reaches for her wrist and brings it to his ear. He hears nothing but the sound of his own blood rushing though his ears and the faint lullabies uttered by the song birds as they prepare for the nights rest.

They body is ice cold. A numb sensation takes over him as he sets the wrist down gently. Is this real? Is he truly awake now? Was this nightmare his reality?

He refuses to look at the face, too frightened of what he'll see: A lifeless gaze, a faint smile an eerie calm too gentle for the owner. All too similar to his brothers. No, instead, he brings his head to the chest, possibly the heart would beat then?

He hesitates, then sets his ear to chest and waits and listens, too hopeful and delusional to notice the sets of sad eyes watching from a distance.

When he brings his head up, small, wet drops are sprinkled about the torn shirt. It's raining and he feels the wetness on his cheeks carving long, sad tracks into his hardened skin.

In a moment of desperation, he grabs for the hand in hopes of bringing the owner back, clinging on to any pathetic hope he can. And suddenly his chest feels like its being torn apart by the rapid beating of his distressed heart. He can't breathe as he cradles the hand to his chest pleading silently for the owner to wake up.

He never believed in a god or 'the God. ' It was always the ability of ones will that motivated him, but it was then that he knew nothing his will could do would save the girl. Ashamedly, he pleads for any god that would listen to help her, to save her, to give life back into the dead body and bring back the warmth that rightfully belonged to her. But he knows his plea will go unheard and it only makes the guilt worse.

It burns incredibly in his heart. Why couldn't he save her? Why was he so useless? _How could he let it happen again?_

The sound of thunder cracks around him, sounding too close to derive from the sky. Silent yells cloud his mind as he watches over and over again the events that took place. A simple mistake, one distraction, and the consequences are too terrible to comprehend.

The tattoo is stained red from the countless injuries, spilling silently to the budding flowers as they rest innocently beneath the lifeless girl. The innocent color of their light pink petals is stained blood red but they make no protest.

A giant, twisted gash from hip to back, bruises running down the arms and legs, a lone cut on the delicate palm of the hand. He realizes, from his drooped stare, that her blood is smearing onto him, but he doesn't mind. He is too broken to mind.

He forces himself to look at her, she deserves the respect. Onyx eyes stop just before her jaw then look away. He can't do it. _He can't do it._

The sets of eyes watch with shattered stares, they too stand in the rain, their own clouds encasing their silent mourning, the boy voicing all their anguish into loud thunderous cries. They see more than one broken body in the clearing, more than one broken heart, but see only one set of eyes searching hopelessly in the sky. Possibly they see far beyond the creeping darkness, past the gleaming stars, and into a kinder place, someplace fairer than their sad little world.

Loud sobs escape the boy, bubbling in his throat and pouring past his chapped lips. Tears blur his sight, blocking all shapes to be perceived and only seeing a world of bleak color. He chokes back another sob as he comes to a resolution. Determined, the boy brings his blurry vision to the girls face.

Beautiful eyes of warm chocolate stare into the oblivion of the sky, deep navy reflecting over the lifeless orbs. Expression set into that of a serene calm, perfectly content with their departure of the world, a seemingly satisfied death. A small tug at the corners of the mouth, the last smile as if sharing a final joke with life before it was time to say goodbye. Orange hair creates a halo of flames contrasting with the lifeless color of the skin. A farewell at the tips of her lips.

"Remember me," she had whispered through raspy gasps to a boy who wasn't there, "as who I am alive and not as I am now."

The boy clutched her hand tightly at those words, words of defeat, while the other gripped at the straw hat he had laid on her stomach. A last minute comfort, but one of so much significance the girl had appreciated it greatly.

"Don't talk like that Nami! I already told you, captain's orders," he would have pleaded with her desperately. Anything he could do to prevent death, anything at all, he would do it. However, he hadn't made it in time.

The girl shut her eyes and shook her head lightly. "Not this time captain," a rueful smile on her lips. "I'm not a monster like you." She opened her eyes and a single tear was shed.

He gripped her hand tighter as his heart broke into smaller pieces. "Chopper'll be here soon. Just wait then!" he all but cried at the girl.

"You know," she started as if his words fell deaf to her ears, "I always thought dying would be scary." Her lips trembled as she spoke what she knew would be her final words. "Funny thing is, it's not dying I'm scared of, it's leaving who I love behind." She stares into the imaginary boy's eyes, tears streaking down her face. "Luffy…thank you." What she had always wanted to say, but rarely uttered due to cowardice. Thank you for saving me, thank you for keeping me, thank you for being my friend, thank you for trusting me, and finally, thank you for being my family. I love you, all of you. Goodbye.

An Earth shattering cry escapes the boy's mouth, causing the slumbering birds to scatter from their nests and flee their homes. His head drops and he is defeated. A curtain blocks his vision, momentarily blinding him of the horrific view, and he sees, as if a finale mock to his failure, the girl wrapped in a radiant glow smiling happily at him. She offers him one of her tangerines, looking him directly in the eyes. "Here idiot. Just this once, okay? Next time and I'm adding to your debt." She hands him the orange treasure with a bright smile, leaving him unsure if the last bit was a promise.

He takes it into his hand and is surprised at how warm it feels. He is just about to question it when his ear catches something. "Take care of him," she says, her voice sounding distant, echoing off the boys ears. The bright intensity of her image is fading and the last thing he sees of her is her small smile and he opens his eyes.

Her smile stares him in the face.

In his hands, a small golden egg rests. It's warm and alive and he doesn't know what to do.

So he cradles it to his chest as tears fall from his eyes.

Is that it? Is this the end?

* * *

Yep. That's the end.

I have this tendency to write important scenes in third person for some reason. Meh.

Okay. Quick explanation. I was thinking at some point to have Nami start telling the story in present tense because she caught the reader up to where she is at in the moment of the story and for the final chapters to be told from a different point of view. I changed my mind though, because that would I mean I would have to kill her and I don't really feel like doing that because that would break my heart and then I'd question my sanity and why did i write this and then I'd die. So. New ending. New ending idea I should say.

I probably have way too many commas and repeated words, so if someone could help me with that...like suggestions on how to fix them...it'd be appreciated.

I'm having second doubts now. This whole thing feels like a bunch of cheese. Ah well.


End file.
